Globe Plastics Offers Enclosures, Horns, and Compression Driver Parts

January 14 2015, 08:00
Roy and Marion Cramer established Globe Plastics, Inc. on October 15, 1958 in Pomona, CA. Roy was a retired engineer at General Dynamics. Globe Plastics started with a proprietary line of transistor pads that offered a low-cost solution to problems associated with semi-conductor production handling and assembly. Globe Plastics manufactured its own tooling and became a leader in the electronics industry for many years. As the company’s expertise grew in advanced engineering materials, Globe Plastics began compression and injection molding high-strength composites for the aerospace / defense industry.
 
Globe Plastics staff stands in front of the Chino, CA, facility.

In December 1979, Globe Plastics purchased an Encapsulation Cup line from Polytop Corp., which was located in Fullerton, CA. Then in 1982, Globe Plastics purchased an Encapsulation line from MG Precision Products, of South El Monte, CA. Globe Plastics then had two proprietary lines consisting of thermoset and thermoplastic transistor pads and compression and transfer molded Encapsulation cups.

In 1988, entrepreneurs Nywood Wu and Clifton Chang acquired Globe Plastics to expand their existing base of defense-based contract manufacturers. Being a minority owned composite molding firm, Globe Plastics was able to gain a larger share of the aerospace/defense industry. A position it still holds 56 years later.

After the dramatic downturn of the defense industry in 1992, Globe Plastics began compression molding highly productive sheet molding compound (SMC) and bulk molding compound (BMC) materials to supply components for the sound and lighting industries. These materials and Globe Plastics’ processes proved to be far superior and a better value than existing thermoplastics and die-cast aluminum components for the sound and lighting industries so Globe Plastics also found a niche in these markets.
Here are examples of some Globe Plastics horns,
using its proprietary Acoustacomp material

Globe Plastics has been working with the sound reinforcement industry for nearly 25 years and its components can be found in many of the industry’s highest quality products. Globe Plastics’s full-service approach provides support to OEM customers through design assistance, modular tooling concepts, tool fabrication, compression, injection molding, finishing and assembly options, and JIT or Kanban inventory systems. Globe Plastics maintains two factories—one in Chino, CA, and one in Dongguan, China. These two facilities provide cost-effective, high-quality components and assemblies to customers in the US, Mexico, Europe, and Asia.

Of particular interest is Globe Plastics’s proprietary material AcoustaComp. AcoustaComp composite materials are stronger and stiffer than plastics and will not ring or tin like metals. These composites are dense and acoustically dead. Since the material is a thermosetting compound, it is not affected by extreme temperatures or harsh chemicals. AcoustaComp does not creep or deflect and can be molded to precise tolerances. It can be finished to a Class-A surface or molded in color with textured surfaces. Applications include horns, enclosures, baffles, complete assemblies, and compression driver phase plugs.
This is a complete enclosure made from
Acoustacomp plastic.

Globe Plastics has a 12,500-ft2 building located at 13477 12th St., in Chino. It has five thermoplastic injection molding machines including: two Arburg 221 ton/2 oz, a Reed 50 ton/3 oz, a Van Dorn 75 ton/6 oz, and a Boy 15S 24 ton/1 oz. This facility also has three thermoset injection molding machines—two Arburg
221E/2.2oz Thermoset machines and one Stokes 375 ton/40 oz BMC Stuffer. In addition, the company has 10 compression/transfer presses including: one compression 25 ton, (PHI) 12” Å~ 12”, 12” stroke, 24” DL; one compression and transfer (KARD) 75 ton, 24” Å~ 24”, 12” Stroke, 24” DL’ two compression and transfer 100 ton, 24” Å~ 24”, 16” Stroke, 36” DL; two compression 100 ton, 24” Å~ 24”, 16” Stroke, 36” DL; three compression 250 ton (HPM) 39” Å~ 24”, 15” Stroke, 36” DL; and one compression 450 ton (Modern Machine Works) 49” Å~ 64”, 42” Stroke, 60” DL.
This 24-ton injection molding machine is used
at the Chino, CA, factory

The Chino facility contains assorted mold-making and machining equipment including: one Okuma Cadet CNC Lathe, three Bridgeport vertical milling machines, three Supermax 1ó VS milling machine with digital readouts, one Boyar-Schultz surface grinder with a dust collecting system, one Kent Kgs-250 surface grinder, one Victor 16” Lathe 55363, assorted band saws, cut off saws, air compressors, welders, and support equipment.
For inspection equipment, Globe Plastics provides: a Brown & Sharp One CMM, PH10 Head, TP20 Probe, PC-DMIS 36” Å~ 42” Å~ 24” (Fontana), a Master View 16” optical comparator with a Fagor programmable digital readout, a Mitutoyo Toolmaker’s microscope #176b1-5 (176-104), a Mitutoyo digital height gauge 18” #192-116, a Standridge Layout Surface Plate (48” Å~ 48”), assorted micrometers, calipers, and indicators, assorted surface plates, and assorted angle plates.
Acoustacomp also works well for compression driver
phase plugs.

Globe Plastics uses thermoplastics (Nylon 6/6, Acetal, polyphenylene sulfide, polycarbonate, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polymethylpentene, polyphenylene oxide, blends, and reinforced materials) and thermosets (AcoustaComp polyester BMC, polyester SMC, vinylester SMC, Epoxy SMC, phenolic SMC, granular phenolic, granular diallyl phthalate, granular melamine formaldehyde, chopped silaca phenolic prepreg, chopped quartz phenolic prepreg, and chopped glass epoxy prepreg).

The value added services Globe Plastics offers include: assembly, packaging, bonding, ultrasonic bonding, painting in an Air Quality Management District (AQMD)-approved paint booth, postcure, a programmable convection oven (Despatch, 48” Å~ 36” Å~ 36”) with a chart recorder, die cutting, and two dual-head die cutters (Schwabe, 36” Å~ 24”).

Globe Plastics also has the following engineering software: Solidworks and AutoCad (Chino) and MasterCam, Solidworks, AutoCad, and PC-DMIS (Fontana). For enterprise resource planning software, Globe Plastics uses DBA Software and EVO-ERP Update, and for electronic data interchange (EDI), the company uses Exostar and Ariba.

Globe Plastics has the following approvals: ISO 9001-2008, AS9100 Rev C Registered, International Standards Authority, Certificate #1370, and AS 9103 Approved—Lockheed Missiles and Space, US Department of State, DDTC Registration Code M25434. For more information, visit www.globecomposites.com
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About Vance Dickason
Vance Dickason has been working as a professional in the loudspeaker industry since 1974. A contributing editor to Speaker Builder magazine (now audioXpress) since 1986, in November 1987 he became editor of Voice Coil, the monthly Periodical for the Loudspeake... Read more

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